4 Carolina Panthers players who balled out in win vs. Lions
By Dean Jones
Juston Burris – Carolina Panthers S
Juston Burris returned to the starting lineup after undrafted rookie Sam Franklin was ruled out. In truth, the free-agent signing would have probably taken his place opposite Tre Boston on the backend in any case and his level of play was so good, it was like he’d never been away.
It was a shame for Burris to suffer a rib problem when he did. It came at a time when the player was really starting to hit his stride after some early jitters and the Carolina Panthers definitely missed him despite Franklin’s encouraging play.
Burris looked like a man possessed early on and was clearly looking to make up for some lost time. Others on the defense might have gained more headlines for their respective contributions. But it is hard to look at the safety’s performance and not be impressed.
He eventually finished the game with six tackles, two passes defended, and one tackle for loss. Burris’ positional sense was another element of his game that stood out considerably and providing his injury struggles are behind him, the player should be able to make even more of an impact down the stretch.
It was great to see Burris back in a starting role. And the Panthers were far better off for it.